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But it's not automatic. It still means lawyers, grand jury's and possibly a trial. A large price to pay for a trespasser. What was the return on the investment you made in shooting him? To avoid someone outside your home on your property you believe it's worth tens of thousands of $$? And if you're wrong? If your jury contains anti-gunners and liberals? Not for a trespasser. Get a dog. You'll likely chase him out and your home insurance covers the bite.

Several comments:
1. Yes there are lawyers and $$ and everything else under the sun when it comes to this asylum known as the US. A good shoot has absolution of any civil liability in the State of SC. That does not mean you cannot sue. Then again, if this is your basis for deciding what to do, then I would advise selling your firearm--in this asylum literally anything you will do with your firearm will get you into court one way or another so the argument on a "large price to pay" will come up regardless of anything you do short of letting the BG get his way.
2. Liberals? Antigunners?--SC is a very very red state. Its governor will support any and all bills designed to increase the ability to own and use a firearm for self defense. Heck if it ever got passed she would support OC. BTW during the big hooha over Sandy Hook, SC was debating extension of CC to include restaurants/bars. We also have a tax-free weekend for the purchase of firearms--so much for anti-gunners.

What did you do to deserve it? And blogosphere? That's the problem with you folks is that you sit behind a computer, pee in a jug while 'fact finding' on the internet.

Sent from my NSA screened Smartphone

And...to steal a line fom Brad Pitt in the movie "Seven" when he was talking to co star Kevin Spacey "When you are sitting around reading your guns and ammo magazine and masturbating in your own feces, do you ever stop and wonder just how insane you are?" piss in your own jug jackass! Are you a troll?

I'd be holding the individual at gunpoint. Shoot only if it is the last option in the world. If he was standing in my home...may be a different story. But case by case...people shouldn't be "letting the puppy out" sort to speak and calmly assess the situation before you find yourself neck deep in a whole lotta ***** by panicking and letting lead fly. That's a dangerous 'law abiding citizen' right there.

It is not that expensive to put up outside lights which either stay on or go on when movement is detected. Also putting up surveillance cameras is a great idea. Having an area lit up at night gives you so much better view of what is really going on. Also if you have surveillance cameras you can watch your screen inside the house to discover what they are up to. And everyone can get a dog, every pound has dogs for little money. If you don't want a dog get a recording of a big angry dog barking from within the house. Maybe dial 911 abut an intruder in your yard and simply keep an eye on him till police arrive. Also, shooting someone in center mass is much better unless you are positive he plans on hurting/killing you. I'm afraid this homeowner just may get a manslaughter charge against him. He went outside and shot someone in the head. A bit of overkill possibly. I hope I'm wrong but he could be in trouble. Best not to chase outside after someone if you can help it. Use lights, cameras, dog/dog recording as your first self defense step.

The interesting thing is that no one, on here or in the paper, seemed outraged by

"He would steal -- he was a professional thief, sure," David Coulter said.

1. 14 year old - professional thief, then "sure" like that's the norm.

"But he would never pick up a gun, not in a million years. He was too scared to aim a gun at the grass, let alone aim it at a person."

2. How do you know? Why would the specific comment about him being to scared to aim at the grass come up?

Coulter's 23-year-old brother, David Coulter, said he had largely raised the children after their father died three years ago

3. Raised by his older brother (one of eight children), not by his mother... A brother who thinks it is normal that the 14 year old is a "professional thief", and proud that he is scared of guns.
-
-Do I think we know the whole story? no.
-Do I think he overreacted? not enough info.
-Did the kid look 14 in the photo? maybe, but he looked like a 14yr old wannabe thug. At 2am this would be amplified.
-Would I be more concerned with his age or his actions a 2am in my fenced yard? hmmm.
-Would I go outside to confront him? probably not, but if my dog was barking his head off I would probably want to know why, which might lead to a confrontation.
-If he saw me and then reached for something (considering he didn't run away when the dog started barking) would I shoot? I would give a verbal command of some sort depending on the situation. "stop!", "hands up!" something. but I would definitely be drawn and on target. His non-compliance while on my property inside my fence at 2am would probably force my hand.
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There was no way for the homeowner to know that the kid was unarmed, just like there was no way for the homeowner to know that he had a criminal record.

When I took my Texas CCW training, I was told to remember that every bullet has a lawyer's name on it. I was also told when I took my SC CCW training, never use deadly force to protect property.

As much as I support gun rights, this is one of those rare situations where a cop on the phone would have been a more prudent action. The thug would not have seen the home-owner and would not made the move that alarmed the home-owner if the home-owner had been indoors on the telephone. Which is more important: scaring the burglar away with a floodlight or immobilizing him until the police can arrive? I'm afraid that I would choose the former. If a thief knows that the home-owner is alert and will expose invasions, he may choose another house or possibly even choose another line of work. Unfortunately, as another posting observed, the law is more often on the side of the perpetrator than on that of the victim.

And then you're Zimmerman. And how do you know he has a criminal record before you shoot him? Death is an inappropriate penalty for the crime of trespass. And since he wasn't caught burglarizing the home his past history of burglary is inadmissible.
.
People... get a damn alarm system. It's cheaper than a lawyer.

IMO The article stated he HAS "a damn alarm system."
He has a dog.
The dog began barking when the person jumped the fence.
The person ignored the alarm and remained on the property.